TNS will bring you all the news and updates regarding the 2009 PBEM Singles Tournament. Next to schedule and current standings, we will also bring you interviews, previews, and game analysis! Find everything you want to know right here!

I feel like some extra-terrestrials have finally found us, and now we DO know that we are not alone in space...Dear reporter: What do they say about us? Is there anything about the tourney in their news? Are they friendly? Or shall we better imprison them and steal their technologies and strategies?

Oleg123Member

posted
09-15-09 12:21 PM
EDT (US)
82 / 244

Lol, can't recall a movie where imprisoning the first extraterrestrial met was a good idea

Spell check failed - not enough mana

SapphoenixMember

posted
09-16-09 05:40 AM
EDT (US)
83 / 244

Oh great! Just my luck! The first round & I have to face THREE masters!!

Ladies and gentlemen, the match between VicBrother and Torso has ended in a victory for Torso, his first of the tourney. This puts him in an interesting spot with 1 point and at least 6 opponent points. Yes, Torso faced some tough competition. The odds are stacked against him advancing but it is possible. Alas, this loss eliminates VicBrother from advancing as the best he can do now is to beat Smuki and gain one point, ending up with at most 5 opponent points. Can he play the spoiler and upset Smuki? Will Torso advance, he promised his daughter's hand in marriage *interruption*

Psssst, hey bub!

Shhhh, you're not supposed to be here, I'm busy, I just started my big interview.

Pssst, Flander, on his way, you got 3 minutes, you owe me one. *skulks off into the shadows*

Well, that's your TNS for today *runs off as fast as can to hide*

____________________________

Seven, eight, nine… *mumbles to self*

(what is he doing?) Master?

Not now, don’t bother me or I’ll lose my count… eighteen… nineteen

(he’s doing it again… I wonder what he’s trying to figure out this time?)

Aha! It’s done. Look, look at this masterpiece. I have calculated and analyzed the games being played and the number of turns needed for victory. I have determined when each one of the games will end. It’s quite amazing actually, I impressed myself once again. There, it should be much clearer now.

*shakes head in disbelief* (I have no idea what I’m looking at, is that a cow?)

Yes, you are amazed at my brilliant work, I can see it in your eyes, you are stunned. It is a natural response. Wake up, listen to me!

Yes Master

As you see we are typically seeing the games last 25 turns for the Rocky Mountain and Mountain of the Gods maps. The Colors map is skewed by those players that killed themselves, poor souls, if we don’t include them the average length of time to finish that map is closer to 15 turns.

Master, wouldn’t it be easier just look in your crystal ball?

No, of course not *whispers* I broke it Remember, when I came back from the interview all upset that the reporter wasn’t there, he stood me up.

Oh, that’s right, the whole interview thing, and throwing things, and ranting and raving about… Is that what all that sparkly goo is on the floor that mixes with everything, your crystal ball? I’m still cleaning up the mess from that. (don’t remind him that the editor called and told him not to come but noooo does he ever listen, noooo)

Yes, the reporter, he will feel my anger. Now, if I could only get that fireball spell to work right. Maybe Karissa will help me, you know, I think she has a thing for me. She could be very jealous now that I have been promised the hand of fair maiden, too bad she's mortal.

er, um, are you sure about that Master? Didn’t she throw fireballs at you last time you tried to show her that you two were destined to be together? (he broke a crystal ball on that day too, it went up in flames, much easier to clean up)

Yes, she was flirting with me, it was so exciting and wonderful, her spells are soooo soooo….. powerful *looks off into space daydreaming*

(flirting with disaster is more like it) Yes, Master. Now, you were saying something about predicting the games that will end soon.

Of course, after a very detailed analysis for the games still open and counting the turns that have been played each week. When you look at how many turns they need to finish the match, add to that the week that we are in… and then include the alignment of the moon, yes. Perfect. You see, Match #26 between Vicbrother and Smuki has been playing about 14 turns per week. At that rate with the Colors map only going to 15 days on average, they will finish up their match…. Let’s see, carry the one, four plus the seven, yes, yes, their match will end on Sept 8th.

Master, that was several days ago and those two are still playing. Are you sure this new theory of yours works?

What! Details, Details…. It will end soon enough and I want to be there when the reporter shows up.

Well, what other games are we expecting to see finish up this week?

My dear boy, if I must tell you. On the Rocky Mountains map we should see Match #3 between Pawel and Sapphoenix end soon, also Match #11 will end soon between Troy Locker and Charx. Let’s see, on the Colors map we will see Match #16 and #21 end, more games with Sapphoenix and Charx. Oh, and on the Mountain map we will see Match #33, #39 and #41 end soon, yes yes, Troy Locker is having a busy week too it seems. Oh and let’s not forget that game #43 between Torso and VicBrother is about to end too, yes it will end very soon.

er, um, Master? Didn’t Torso just finish off VicBrother in that match?

What! Hurry, we must get to the scene quickly if we are to catch up with that reporter. He continues to elude me… and my fireball spell is not quite perfected… HURRY!

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-17-09 09:40 AM
EDT (US)
88 / 244

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS! Todays show will discuss the selection process for the tournament maps in some greater detail with the head tournament organizer, Swolte.

However, we will start off with some breaking news! Charx has just won his match against Sapphoenix here! The win occurred quite swiftly and unexpectedly on the Color's map after 15 days where Charx managed to surprise Sapphoenix. Go check it out!

Ok, Swolte, welcome, and please take a seat! Thank you.

Can you give us a brief overview of the history of the map selection process. Sure, as many know, the maps used for the current tournament were selected from the 2009 1v1 mapmaking tournament. The winning map of that competition was ensured being used in the tournament. In this case, Timelord's 'Too much water', received that privilege and will be the map featured in the final.

After the selection procedure, we went into a revision phase where a lot of the maps were changed. After that, we had a testing phase where multiple testers who played maps from both sides gave feedback on the map. This, of course, in addition to looking over the map as well.

Why was only one map ensured, and not the top three? Seems very conservative... Yes, the reason was to have a lot of control over the maps used in the tournament. Despite the mapmaking tournament generating wonderful maps, a lot were simply not feasible to be used in a tournament setting. It took a lot of work to get these maps ready the way that I saw fit and willing to organize a pbem tournament with. This also required a lot of work for some the authors. I did approached almost everyone to poll their willingness to make changes. Killkenny's Rocky Divide, for example, initially had an entire Shadowworld level and a third wizard (trader) which we removed in the end for AI-exploitation reasons.

There were many authors who were able and willing to make drastic changes. For some authors, however, I could sense my requirements would take too much and so we decided to just leave it. Morgul666, for example, had made a gorgeous map called Menzoberranzan vs Mithral Hall, which I highly recommend playing. Map-technically, I think it is one of the best, together with The Groll's submission. However, it didn't fit the criteria for a tournament map very strongly. For example, the map was asymmetrical and so vast and sophisticated that it was impossible to say whether it was balanced or not. One would need to play at least 10 games to get somewhat of a fair impression.

What were those criteria, exactly? Well, there were dozens, but these were some of my most important ones. A tournament map needs to:

I - play fast and aimed at direct player-vs-player contact. Have few options to turtle, not too much towers/obstacles, etc...We can already see that the maps currently used are ending between 20-30 days, on average, which is good. Especially for a first round, when people are playing 3 maps simultaneously, it is important to be able to get maps done quickly. We want to take the tournament seriously and people do have lives besides AoW.

II - be simple and straightforward. One should be able to study it fairly easily in the editor. Not too much events.With the exception of the Color's map, I think most maps are straightforward in their design. Some have argued that perhaps Rocky Divide was too simple, and therefore uninteresting, but I would disagree somewhat. We have seen some really interesting matches on that map.I also think its important players can just study the map in the editor without too much hassle of studying every event. Most of the first round maps do not have that many events, and if there are, they are quite straightforward. I still think there are too many events in the maps, but I hope I have time to discuss that later.

III - be balanced. Every side should have an equal chance of winning.This, of course, is an important one everyone will agree on. However, its not so easy to do, even if you have a lot of testers. The maps for the first round are fairly well balanced, I think, but obviously not perfectly. So far, it seems most games have been decided by actual strategy with a combination of random (un)luck.

So, in general, I wanted a tournament with maps that agreed, to large extent, with all of these criteria. It meant a lot of maps had to undergo revisions which also led to seemingly perfect maps to become hard to use. For example, Groll's map The Gods area of Magic and Power was truly unique and brilliantly crafted. I would recommend everyone to check it out. If it was a general mapmaking competition, it would most likely have won because it is so creative. However, depending on the settings, I found it to play too slow for a tournament (criteria I). It was also hugely complex to study in the editor - there were a lot of events that could be crucial for the game's development, and I didn't want people that have Editor-experience to have too much of an advantage over those who don't. I mean, I have had players ask how to shift levels in the editor (no names... ) (criteria II). Then, because there were so many ingame options, it was impossible to test the balance as the map itself would be different for each setting. The map is symmetrical, but every race was different, and has different neighbours, and that can make the balance quite tricky on a crowded map like this. In sum, it featured groundbreaking concepts for mapmaking, yet not useful for a PBEM tournament! Similar to Morgull666, the necessary changes would have taken away the essence of the map, and so we decided to leave it as is and...

...

*COUGH*COUGH* Ahh, sorry! I didn't sleep well last night. I have been having these dreams about a crystal ball. When I draw near, I see fire, lots of fire!Anyway, apologies. Criteria, right? So, are there some changes in these for next year? Events. I think the next mapmaking tournament should have more strict rules about people adding events. Perhaps introduce a hard limit of sorts, or a complete ban on game-relevant ones (just have message events). We'll keep it open for discussion, but I have had lots of issues in almost every map with the events that were placed. They are VERY hard to ALL check ingame and a single mistake can potentially mess up a tournament. I have found them in almost EVERY map, and they happen with the best mapmakers. You simply cannot trust what you see, and you have to test many event out ingame which is very tedious. And even then, there may still be mistakes.I may be sounding a bit too harsh, but it is a serious issue which we should address next time. For a tournament, the map events need to be perfect.

You mentioned the next mapmaking tournament? Yes, we plan to have a yearly 1v1 mapmaking tournament preceding a yearly 1v1 PBEM Tournament. This will bring some continuity and tradition on the site. I do think that after this tournament, a lot of players will be better skilled players and they would also know what a tournament map requires. I am glad to see a lot of mapmakers joined this tournament as well, as I think this will definitely make them better at what they do! I already look forward to next years mapmaking tournament.

Ok, how is the testing for the next map coming along? It's going really well. The Blackheart vs Goodfella map by King David was already tested quite elaborately, but last week I had received additional tips for balancing from players who play privately. It very useful to playtest the maps beforehand with someone, not just for your own sake, but also for the organization to make the maps better.

Sounds good. On an aside, in a previous show Vovy mentioned a bug with the inaccessible dragonlair. We can find that type of dragonlair in the underground of Ne'khan's area. Are you able to fix that in v15? I think it works as intended, though. For people who do not know, the hexes around the lair are of the 'obstacle' type, so you need units like flyers to get there. Mountaineering, for example, won't help. Just imagine the rock being too steep and slippery to climb!

Thanks so much for the interview. Tomorrow we have the Seraphs director on the show to talk about the prizes! This was TNS for you today!

Yes, yes! I agree with Pawel completely. More players will be fun, fun, fun!

Sapphoenix is losing every single PBEM (almost!), but loving it!

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-18-09 09:47 AM
EDT (US)
92 / 244

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS, your newsstation for everything related to the PBEM tournament!

We open today's news with the completely unexpected surrender of Charx in the match against Swolte. Swolte, now, seems certain of a place in second round! Check out what happened here!Charx still has the match against Troy, and seems to have the upper hand. This is definitely one to follow!

On today's show we will have the Seraphs Director, Kester. She is providing the prizes for this tournament. As you know, next to eternal fame, the first prize is an official Heavengames cap as well as a $25 gift certificate.

Swolte wearing hat

Kester, welcome to the show. Could you tell us a bit about Heavengames and yourself? What exactly is your role at Heavengames?

Kester Hi, glad to be here! I'm a *static...crackle...static*-year-old librarian living in the Great Pacific Northwest in the US. I first discovered HeavenGames through Stronghold Heaven. I had just replaced an old computer with a shiny new one, with a monitor that actually displayed in all colors of the rainbow, rather than just shades of blue. To celebrate I bought several games, including Stronghold. I played all the missions by myself, then discovered the map editor. I could make pretty maps, but the gameplay didn't actually work. The enemy didn't attack when they were supposed to. I hunted around the web for answers, and came across the helpful community at Stronghold Heaven! I started posting, and found a new online home.

I'm currently a member of EXCO, the Executive Committee of HeavenGames. My specific job is as the Seraphs Director, aka the "Seraphs Wrangler". I'm the point of contact for the seraphs, and try to get them the resources they need to keep their sites up and running, and keep them happy and content. The last part is the hardest, and that's where the wrangling comes in. There are rumors of this existence away from the keyboard. What's it called? Actual Life? Real Life? Something like that. Anyway, sometimes the seraphs get the notion that they have to explore this supposed thing, and that's when I have to step in, and rein them back, and remind them that their first and primary duty is at their Heaven. I enjoy my job at HeavenGames. Fortunately for HG, I don't believe this Real Life thing exists, so there's nothing stopping me from giving it my full and undivided attention. You oversee several Heavens. What do you think of the AoWHeavens in comparison to other heavens? Are we the old and odd ducks of the bunch?

Kester AoW Heavens might be old and odd ducks of the bunch, but remember, I came to HeavenGames through Stronghold Heaven, another older one. However, the fact that the heavens are still active is just a testament to the quality and replayability of the games. I mean, look at chess - that game has been around at least 20, 25 years, and people still play it. You are providing the prizes for this tournament. What is so special about this cap? Swolte mentioned he initially wanted a iPhone for the winner, but it got denied!

Kester Swolte lies! I offered fabulous prizes, but he insisted he wanted the hat! He's got one himself, so he must know all the awesome particularities of the cap. As I don't have one myself, I have to take his word for it. For now, anyway. As soon as Zen passes the torch of "Keeper of the Prizes" to me (i.e. takes the box of hats and goodies to the post office and ships it to me), I will be able to see for myself! I hope he does it soon, after all the time I spent building a climate-controlled bomb shelter in the backyard to store them... Why don't you play AoW?

Kester I was too busy flattening walls in the Stronghold map editor to play many other games. But now that I've conquered Fallout 3 and Halo 3, I might consider playing AoW. It does seem to have one of the nicest communities at HG. Thank you very much for appearing on the show. Do you have any words of wisdom for our contestants?

Kester Wisdom? That's outside my job description, I'm afraid. Just good luck, and have fun! Ladies and gentlemen, this was TNS for you today!

Ladies and gentlemen, another surrender on the Mountain of the Gods. This time Xalarun throws in the towel against Oleg's overwhelming armies!With two wins, we have yet to see if Oleg is safely on to the next round! Ladies and gentlemen, things really begin to shape up this week!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS! The tournament is shaping up as the final 16 are revealed, one by one. Today we will have Swolte on the show to discuss the reasons behind him reaching the second rounds.

Swolte, welcome to the show! Congratulations with reaching the next round. It has been going quite easy for you, hasn't it? I mean, experienced players like PawelS and Charx mysteriously surrender without any big battles... Yes, I think I did have my share of luck.

Also, its sort of peculiar that Oleg, a relatively unknown player, was able to defeat you. It's like the people who you would expect to have a tough match against suddenly vanish... Yes, I must admit that things have been working out beyond expectation.

You have a lot of power being the site manager and main tournament organizer. Do you think that ever conflicts with being a contestant yourself? Well, it's not easy. Sometimes I wish I didn't have those double roles but I like playing as well as organizing. I don't believe it will lead to conflicts of interest, necessarily.

You are also a judge... Well, I can see that one. We have ruled that in the instance that a judge has to decide over a game, both parties involved will need to agree to the choice of judges. This means that if someone is not comfortable with me as a judge, they can request another.

But most of the judges are staff-members, who 'work for you', as you are the Seraph! There is also an option to choose non-staff.

The point is that you have too much control over this tournament! Didn't you decide which maps were too be used in the first place? The maps don't really have a bias towards my preferred playing style, per se. They are very diverse.

You are also the one who sets up all the games. How do we know that you don't hide some goldpieces somewhere, or add in an event saying 'ADD 500gp IF player = Swolte'! Players are very meticulous, so they would notice. I don't know the maps in an out. In fact, in the Mountain game I even missed the fact that there was an extra level-3 on refuge! Besides, I do work on those maps very closely with maptesters and the mapmaker.

Why did you choose a point system that really, no one truly understands but a lunatic Wizard called Flanders? Who is checking all those numbers?! Flanders has good people working underneath him.

Some even say that you control this newsstation... That's absurd. *looks suspiciously* *takes off hat* As a moderator, you control all the information flow, you know. Arggh, you freak. Stop this!! Ok... *looks around* So, in theory, you can just post the winner, and moderate all messages around!! *gasp* *takes hat back* Yes, that's what I did last year. *voice trembles* The rumors that you are an Orcish Mindflayer... are they, true? No, haha, what makes you think so... My skin would have to be green, hahah! HAHAHA!!

You are going to win this tournament, aren't you? No matter what the cost! You'll do everything in your power! We, the people will NEVER KNOW WHAT REALLY *static*static*- Connection mysteriously terminated -

(waiting for Flander to finish his analysis before posting the rest of the TNS , stay tuned)

EnginerdHG Angel

posted
09-20-09 04:52 PM
EDT (US)
99 / 244

Well this is most interesting, most interesting indeed.

Master, does this have something to do with the fact you haven’t broken anything in a couple days?

What, something broke? Hrmph, no, no my dear boy I was talking about the tourney. It’s getting very interesting right now, yes, very interesting.

What is so interesting Master?

Well, obviously, my firestorm spell will soon be ready and that reporter won’t know what hit him, just need a few more days and it will be ready.

Master? I thought you said the tourney was interesting

But of course, the tourney. Yes, look here, the top 16 players keeps changing but this week there were 7 games that finished up and some of them were very difficult to predict. Like the match between Swolte and Charx where Swolte won and clinched a spot in the top 16. Oh, oh and Oleg clinched a spot too and also Costa finished up his matches and with 3 victories. Yes, there are only 14 matches left to be finished. And, according to the polls the top 16 will look like this… (at least that is I want them to believe will happen, mwahahahahaha)

Doesn’t look much different from last week Master, does it?

Maybe, maybe not, let’s look a little deeper and you will see how things have changed a bit as players are securing their positions and others are trying to break into the top 16. Here, we can see that many other favorites will soon clinch a spot in the top 10.

These seven players can clinch a spot in the top 16 with a victory. It appears that Enginerd, Vovy and Timelord are going to cruise to victory but you never know. Morgul and Pawel are both expected to win their matches as well. An upset in any of those games will surely throw the top 16 into a real sticky situation. Now, the remaining two players are not in so easy a spot. You see, Lord Duck is not going to cruise to victory over Troy Locker, in fact Troy is desperately trying to keep his tourney hopes alive. Certainly a game to watch. Also, JamesEde and Albinscott is another tough match to call, can Albinscott secure a spot? Another interesting note is that all of these players except Pawel can possibly secure a spot in the top 16 WITH a loss. Albinscott will need some help as he'll only have one victory but with some luck will end up with 7 or 8 opponent points. It may be enough opponent points to give him a longshot chance, he'll need more upsets but can still advance with a loss, maybe, I think.

Master, uh, ok I think I got that…. Maybe

Yes but this next group is the exciting one, if those 7 make it that will give us 12 of the top 16 so there will be only 4 spots left. We’ll take a much closer look at the rest of the field going one by one to see what chances they have of making it into the top 16. Look at this group below and see what they are facing to keep their tourney hopes alive.

OK… here we go… this will be tricky but try and stay with me

(I can’t believe he’s going to tell me that badborre_dk has a chance)

Let’s start with Torso, he’s at the top and we’ll just work our way down. Now before, we said that there might, just might be a way to get into the 2nd round with 1 win and 6 opponent points. Torso has played all his games and currently has exactly that, 1 point for his win and 6 opponent points. You see, he lost to Cranberry and Costa, both of those players earned 3 victories (so 3 points each for 6). It is too bad that his other opponent was not able to win a single game, had Vicbrother won at least one game it really would have helped Torso out. Unfortunately, taking into account the other matches there is now no way for Torso to advance with his current score. It just doesn’t work out. Not a single one of the over 16000 combinations left will enable him to make it into the next round.

Huh? How come?

To put it simply… Swolte won his match... and others did too that were expected to win and there weren't enough upsets. You see all very simple.

Master, does this mean you now need at least 1 win and 7 opponent points to make it into the next round?

Precisely, but not entirely, you see, it is foggy when looking at the extremes. Maybe I'll try and explore that arena later but not today. 7 or 8 opponent points may just do it but it's hard to telland it still may not be enough. Now, let’s move on and look at the next player on the list. That would be Smuki. If he beats Orangeknite then he will advance.

Master? Didn’t you say that you would need 2 wins and 4 opponent points to clinch a spot.

Of course I did, but now I’m saying you need at least 3 opponent points. Once again, there have been just enough upsets to make it that much easier to get in. Well, it isn’t that much easier. So yes, Smuki is in with a win.

Now – let’s take a look at our next player, ZombieEater. He is up against a newer and relatively uknown player in Black_d1. If ZE wins then he will have the 2 victory points but won’t quite have clinched things yet. Good for him that Black_D1 has another game, also his other two opponents are still playing (Albinscott and Luke) and if they win their last match it helps ZE out that much more. Also, he stands a pretty good chance of advancing with just 2 opponent points.

Next on our list is Charx who is in a very similar situation as ZE. He must win his match against Troy Locker (not an easy feat) and then he waits to see if 2 wins and 2 opponent points is enough (thanks to Swolte for winning 2 matches and getting Charx those 2 points). Troy Locker has a game left and if he wins then Charx will clinch a spot for sure. Again, he will still sit comfortably with a win.

Now MrLifford will also have 2 wins and 2 opponent points if he can beat Xalarun, which he is predicted to do. Unfortunately, it is not likely that Xalarun will beat Timelord giving MrLifford that one extra opponent point. Mr Lifford will just have to hope that 2 wins and 2 opponent points is enough (and most likely will be).

Are you keeping up my dear boy, stop dozing

What! Oh, ok Master, I’ll try and stay awake. Does it get more interesting?

Why of course it does, we have just come to a very interesting part as we are ready to talk about another new player, Black_d1! Oh, this is so exciting, we know very little about him and he already has 1 victory and still has 2 games, left, he is undefeated and makes us think about the other new players out there like Cranberry and Vovy that are shocking us all with victories. Black_d1 will earn great fame with two more victories and clinch a spot but with only one victory and then a loss he will end up with 2 wins and 2 opponent points, and put him in the same spot with the others and may just get by with that. Yes, terribly exciting. Must watch the last games of Black_d1, oh yes indeed.

JamesEde is in the same spot as Black_d1 with one win and two games left. He too must win at least one of the matches but we know a bit more about James as he has been around for awhile. Can he beat Albinscott and/or Luke. Oh yes, exciting games to watch.

Toth is next and he is in a must win situation over Black_d1, yes, Toth can squish the newbie with a win and then he will have 1 win and at least 7 opponent points. If Black_d1 wins his other match then Toth will end up with 8 opponent points. He might, just might make it with that but it is too soon to tell. Yes, too soon to tell. Exciting Game to watch, who will win that match, oh yes indeed.

On to another new player in Orangeknite1, he still has 3 games remaining but that will change soon as Enginerd is about to beat him in one game but Orangeknite still has hopes of winning his last two matches against Smuki and Morgul. However, he has a very difficult road ahead of him. Fortunately (or not) for him his opponents have won many games so he will end up with lots of opponent points, that probably won’t do him much good without a win somewhere. If Orangeknite makes it into the top 16 it would truly be a great story.

Xalarun, well, much like Orangeknite is in a tough spot. 2 chances to win a match and not expected to win either one. Timelord is likely to roll to victory and who knows how the game with Morgul is going. Another longshot but still possible. Good Luck Xalarun, keep up the fight!

Now we get to talk about a veteran, who came back to play and maybe found he was a bit rusty. Troy Locker had been given high hopes at the start of the tourney but now sits with his back up against the wall. He does have 2 games remaining against tough opponents. He can still make it with two victories but Charx and LordDuck won’t make it easy on him. Vovy is still playing and likely to give Troy another opponent point, and with one victory and a loss he will sit with 1 win and 7 opponent points. A tough spot as it is possible to advance but not likely. Good Luck Troy, looks like you need it.

Poor Sapphoenix, she has 2 games left and against tough opponents (Pawel and Vovy). She is not expected to win either match and must win both if she wishes to advance. We hope to see her fight to the death but it will be an uphill battle for her.

Now, I’m glad to report that Badborre_dk still has a chance. *interruption*

Master…. You’ve got to be joking. Badborre has lost two matches and only has 4 opponent points. How can he possibly advance?

Ah, my dear boy, I will show you how it is possible. You see Badborre got 3 opponent points from his first opponent Costa who sits near the top of the leader board. He also got one from Black_d1.

Wait, doesn’t Black_d1 still have two games left?

Ahhhh, you are starting to see, yes, if Black_d1 wins both of his matches and his other opponent is Luke who has 2 games remaining

I got it Master! *jumping up and down with excitement* Badborre beats Luke and gets his one victory point, Luke beats JamesEde giving Badborre another opponent point and with the great help from Black_d1 that will give Badborre 7 total opponent points! Wow.

Yes my boy, and with that score he may, just may find a way to sneak into the next round, but it won’t be easy.

*stares in amazement at his master*

Now, last but not least is the very Luke who has 2 games left and must win both of them if he wishes to advance. He is expected to beat Badborre but the match against JamesEde will be very tough indeed for him, yes, very tough indeed.

Master, so how will we let everyone know what is going to happen in the tourney if we can’t find the reporter?

I have other ways…. Mwahahahahaha and that reporter will soon be mine!

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-21-09 11:31 AM
EDT (US)
100 / 244

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS, your best show for the 2009 1v1 PBEM Tournament! On today's show we will have Swolte talk on the progress in the past week, and the prospects for the coming week.Swolte, welcome to the show! Thank you. First of all, apologies for the former show. I did get a bit carried away and I hope listeners didn't take it too seriously.

*blank stare* Funny, I can't remember... anything. Anyway, let's continue! We're entering the last week of the tournament, or the last 10 days, to be precise. There are 14 games left and just like last week I have categorized the matches that are on and behind schedule. The cutoff is higher as by this week your game should have reached day 15. As you can see, there is a group of 10 games that hasn't reached that, yet.

Games that are behind schedule are strongly advised to speed up their turns and get the game in a stage where it can be decided. Try and see if you can find a good time to exchange a couple of turns with your opponent. Also, if your issue is that you take a long time to prepare your turn, perhaps now is the time to consider to play it faster.

Do you think a lot of games will end quick the next week? Not really because we are down to a few slow players. There are also holidays for Morgul and Charx, and so this will also delay a few games. I do hope that at least the four games that are on schedule will end. There may be some disqualifications as well. As an interesting aside, it seems a relief if your opponent gets disqualified because you get free victory points. Unfortunately, it is likely your Opp points will be very low, and it does seem that people who haven't been winning all their matches are going to need those... So I guess it does balance out a bit.

I see, now on to the big question: when does round 1 close and what exactly happens to the games that are still in progress? On September 30th we may close round 1, and its likely that we are going to make that. There is one important condition: at least 80% of the games will need to be finished. It means that the tournament will end the day after September 30th when there are 9 games or fewer left!At that moment, all ongoing games will 'freeze' and are decided by a voting. The second player of each ongoing match will need to send me their turn immediately. The organization will propose three experienced and independent players/judges to look at the game. Both contestants have 24 hours to object or agree with the choice of judge. If there is disagreement, we will find a replacement. The judges will determine who they think will win this game. Although, I do intend to post some points to notice, each judge will use his/her own criteria! Note that the judges need not be tournament judges necessarily.

Well, that may not be fair. What if the judge doesn't notice some masterplan! Yes, you're right. So, it is important to realize that it is subjective! Its very possible you have a crappy economy and a lesser army but very strong strategic position. If a judge focuses solely on economical factors and army size, your chances to win that game may indeed be low. However, the advantage of a system like this is just the opposite. Judges can actually take strategy and potential into account, something that numbers (e.g., # armies, # cities) don't really do! I will send out an email to the judges, reminding them to also take potential into account, next to things like the netto economical, magic, and/or army strength.

Thanks for the interview, Swolte. Ok, ladies and gentemen, this was TNS for you today!

Oh my, there will be a lot of hard feelings involved with cut-off as low as 80%... Was it not 90% originally?

Spell check failed - not enough mana

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-21-09 07:12 PM
EDT (US)
102 / 244

** Breaking news! **

Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news as Troy Locker defeats LordDuck in the Mountain of the Gods in what seems to be an epic match! Both players are not certain of reaching the next round, although it seems LordDuck will most likely make it. Troy's remaining game against Charx is one to follow.

all right, I was kind of hoping for something a bit… less… daring…if you get my drift. It’s been a rough couple of weeks with explosions and fire balls and nutty wizards.

(gotta teach this kid a lesson) Yeah, you’re right kid, why don’t you take it easy. Hey, tell you what, I’ve got a great one for you, real easy, and I won’t even make you work to get there. *puts arm around reporter and escorts across the room* Here you go, my teleporter, now just step in there, and a nice story is on the other side. No stress, no fuss, just a simple story, pefect for you.

You got it boss (he never let me use the teleporter before, he must really like me) *steps onto the teleporter*

Now, I still need the story, so don’t come back without it *reaches over and pushes the teleport button on his desk…. Poof… reporter disappears* That will teach him, he’s been avoiding that big story for a week now, what’s he afraid of some little old wizard, we gotta keep the ratings going, he better come back with a great story too.

___________________________*elsewhere*

ho hum, yes yes yes, oh that is perfect, simply wonderful

(do I dare ask …. No I think not)

*scurries about mumbling to himself* Hehehehehe that is just the way I picture it, yes yes, finally!

Master?

Just one second, my boy, one more second and it… will…

*poof*

What? What happened? Oh no…. it’s YOU! (must think fast, what will I do… this guy is crazy, I gotta find a way out of this…the boss… OH… the BOSS… he tricked me…Arghhh)

I can’t believe it really worked, my variation of the recall hero spell worked, it just took a little tweaking since, obviously this foolish reporter is no hero (and, I was trying to summon Karissa but this works too). But now…. You are within my grasp.

(oh… I’m going to regret this but I gotta play to his crazy notions, it will be the only way out of this) *runs up and grabs Flander’s legs* Thank you thank you for saving me, that crazy Sorceress was trying to kill me, I’ve been out of my mind trying to get away from her. I can hardly believe that you would save me. You must be the greatest wizard in the world, why all the wizards in Inioch’s court were talking about how great you have become. (rats, look at his face, I think I over did it)

*shakes head in disbelief*

What… well… wait… greatest wizard… in the world… Inioch… hmmm… well *stands a bit taller, puffs out his chest* Don’t touch me, get off. Yes, of course I am the greatest wizard in the world, they all envy me, ho hum, yes, I knew it, I knew it, oh this is such a nice day, I do like this reporter, yes indeed.

(well… that was close, I guess I better get moving and see if I can’t find a story on my way back) Yes, well I must be off so until next time. Toodle-loo

I don’t do interviews, it is beneath me, Flander, the greatest wizard in the world, to give interviews to a mere reporter, even one that I like, I cannot stoop that low.

(Yes! This is my lucky day) Oh, that’s too bad, well thanks again.

Master, why don’t you show him the scroll you’ve been working on? He seems quite interested in it.

*reporter reluctantly takes the scroll, then starts to sneak away*

Now why would I want to do that? Anyone can see that most of the games that have finished have been won nearly as many times by both sides, a slight advantage to the “Black” wizard on the Colors map but only slightly and it will correct itself soon enough. You see, Enginerd will soon win his match and that will be another notch for the “white” wizards. Yes, in the end it will all be very even.

*continues sneaking off*

(and he won’t say anything about how JamesEde is close to victory as the “Black” wizard… and Xalarun may get wiped out from slow play if not careful, that would be another couple notches for the “Black” wizard making it 9 to 5) Yes, Master.

Oh, and then we can’t have the “Black” wizard getting ahead of the “White” wizard so of course Albinscott has won and so has Xalarun, there, perfect now they are the same, seven victories for “white” and seven for “black”. I do so like how pretty it looks to have the bars the same height, yes perfect.

Master, those games aren’t over yet and you didn’t count the disqualification game.

details details, it will be as I say, just watch.

Master, well, then how will the other 6 matches on the Rocky Mountain Map and the few games on the Mountain of the Gods map end up?

Isn’t it obvious? They will be even as well, how could you think that I designed a tourney that would not be so. Anyways, I don’t have time for this. I must get started on my book.

Master, your book?

Yes, every greatest wizard in the world has written a book. *Flander wanders off deep in thought*

____________________*elsewhere*

(that was a close call) Well… for our TNS report of the day we have a few things to add to Flander’s report.

With 6 games to go on the Rocky Mountain map it is very likely that Ember will win at least 4 of those matches, tipping the scales in favor of Lord Ember 7 to 4, it will be interesting to see how the balance of victories ends up with those two remaining games, will it be 7 to 6 (with two disqualifications) or will it be 9 to 4?

On the Mountain of the Gods map there are only 4 games left and the favorites are likely to produce at lest two more wins for Ne’Khan and it is not unlikely that all 4 matches go that way. If it does then this would tip the scales towards Ne’Khan’s favor. For now, we can’t say much.

The Colors map seems to be favoring Black, and it is possible to see 9 victories for Black and only 5 for White. So now the question remains, WHY? Is it due to imbalances of the map or just luck of the draw. When all the games are completed we’ll sit and discuss this with you, but for now, we’ll close with this late breaking news….

(edit-it may take a little time for the image to get uploaded to the site, be patient the scroll will show up eventually)

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-23-09 11:19 AM
EDT (US)
105 / 244

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS!

If you haven't already, do check out this detailed analysis from the match between Orangeknite1 and Enginerd. Next to screenshots by Enginerd which will give you some good insights into how one can obtain victories, we are also left with a warning... In Orangeknite1's words: "Enginerd has finally beaten me with a great army anybody playin him beware". Words too heed, indeed!

On an aside, everyone is urged to make some screenshots of your games, and you're welcome to send them to Swolte who can upload them for you and provide you with guidance how to make them visible in your post.

On today's show we talk with Swolte on an obscure paragraph in the rules that discusses backup maps. Swolte, welcome to the show. What did you mean by backup maps? We haven't heard much about these types of maps.

Thank you. We wanted to have backup maps in case people had strong complaints about the balance before playing a map. The maps are a modified version of the Creek of Aberil and Danny's Sock. In the past, these maps have proven to be very well balanced and its unlikely people will have complaints about these maps. I am not really expecting them maps to be used, though, as the current maps are in pretty good shape already. Hence, they are backup maps.

When you say 'modified version' of the Creek map, what do you mean? And what is the background of the Danny's Sock map? I actually meant two modifications. Originally, the Creek of Aberil map was a Triumph Studios map that came with the game. Then, a forumer called Final Bolt made the map more interesting, and ran numerous games on it until it was balanced really well! He made several versions, including an adventurous version that contains a lot of events. The map used for the tournament is an earlier, simpler version. It has some changes made by myself. For example, I connected the waterways, allowing for more naval strategy. Furthermore, I also made some changes that will make the map play faster.Danny's Sock was a map made long ago by one of the funniest forumers ever to post here. His name was Mr. Pickles and next to being very witty, he was also a very good map designer. The map was used in previous tournaments and always to satisfaction of both parties in matches. I haven't made any changes to this map.

These maps are already available? Yes, the backup maps are now uploaded here together with the latest updates of the maps.

How is the testing of the maps going for subsequent rounds? It's going well, a couple of people are trying out the map and providing detailed reports. I also get sporadic emails from people who catch mistakes, and/or have good suggestions for the map to improve it.Bear in mind that the map won't change much from what it is now. It's also tricky to change things as King David tends to balance things quite intricately. For example, Blackheart has a lot of mobility on the map, as well as many starting armies which can be easily combined. On the other hand, Blackheart doesn't start with a tower, and his magical potential is far less than Goodfella's. Thoughts are always welcome, but be prepared to get to know the map inside out in order to make useful balance suggestions on this one.

Ok, Swolte, thanks for being on the show! Ladies and gentlemen, this was TNS for you today! Next shows may feature spotlight-interviews with players who made it to the final 16, as well as a big tournament overview for the following rounds!

Ahem, I'm a bit dismayed that you didn't comply with what I imposed with my copy and edit permission, Swolte. You should have updated the description in the map about your authorship of modification. I didn't expect this to happen, and I certainly wouldn't like to be identified with the map your created.

Although I should feel honoured that my mod of Creek of Aberil was eligibale for this tournament, I'ld still recommend everybody who are interested to play it, to prefer my latest edition (SM 221) instead. The version Swolte drew up is really outdated and his modifications .. well, I'm not really happy about them either.

[This message has been edited by Final Bolt (edited 09-24-2009 @ 06:51 AM).]

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-24-09 11:48 AM
EDT (US)
107 / 244

*Swolte wakes up sweating in the middle of the night* OY MY GODDD!!! I AM SUCH AN IDIOT, IDIOT!!! I forgot to change the ingame map description for FinalBolt!! He is going to go BALLISTIC!! Lawyers will be swarming the place...*Corrects immediately*

---- later that day

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS! Your show for all news related to the tournament!

Before we start off the show, we have breaking news, as JamesEde defeated Albinscott in a match on Colors that was seeming to go JamesEde's way from the beginning. Truly great logs!! I was there to report. In another match, Vovy beat Sapphoenix on the Mountain map. Check out the logs here!

For this show, we will have a spotlight on a player who made it into the second round. Please welcome...

NAECOOOOOOO!!

Naeco, welcome to the show! Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and how you got interested in Age of Wonders? What is that username?

Naeco Well, it's a long story. I originally play Age of Wonders almost ten years ago and Age of Wonders 2: Wizard Throne. There was a long vacation in between before I came back in 2003 to find out that Shadow magic was released. I hooked up with it right away and went online to battle against the like of Roger, SpiderOef, Gandalf... However online playing is very time consuming, and that leads me to PBEM. I got into PBEM with a 1v1 Tourney like many new players here. I got eliminated very fast because of lack of PBEM experience, but the defeats just inspired me to get more games to play. I had a lot of amazing games with a lot of amazing players. The most memorable games would be Marlenia (my first PBEM ever), great game, great log too. This Land Is My Land against Unnapu and SpringHeel. Although I did not win any of those two but I did not feel like a loser in those games. There are many current interesting PBEM going on too, and I'm sure not going to stop playing in the next five or ten years ;-).And FYI, that avatar is my baby boy. You can see that I have high hope for him ;-) I'm waiting till he can talk to send him to Flander's house. I'm sure my son will even surpass his master let alone that weakling kobold apprentice. My username? Big thing spelling backwards ;-) What do you like specifically about AoW? What is your favourite AoW moment?

Naeco What I love the most about Aow is the graphic design and the game story. Both original and Shadow magic versions give me a fantasy feel everytime I play. The music is great too. My favorite Aow moment would be I'm playing my PBEM and my wife lying next to me complaining that I spend too much time with the game. :-p

If you had the power to change one thing in the game, what would it be? For example, imagine you had the sourcecode and a gun to have a programmer make one change!

Naeco Wow ! It's very hard to pick one (you can see what people wish for the imaginative Aow3 and Upatch 1.5) and besides, I don't like having gun pointing to my head thus I don't like pointing it to someone else either :-p Have you ever cheated in a game?

Naeco Against AI? Before PBEM, yes a lot, by reloading the saved game. I'm still playing a lot of single maps but I stopped reloading saves and always tried to give myself a challenge by not exploiting unfair human moves against AI.Against human players? Yes and No. Normally I would not change my moves even if it was a mislick, because I like to let things go as it is and I have a very light spirit, I don't take things too hard or seriously when I play. But sometimes when accidentally I had a game crash or an incident which requires replaying, I would "take the opportunity" to refine my moves. I'm known to make a lot of high risk moves but I don't regret having done that, just try to remember not doing that next time :-) You seem more like a player. Have you ever considered making maps, or even mods?

Naeco Mod making is something too technical for me, I think. But truth is I'm happy with the current patch so I'm not going to spend time with mods, yet. Map making is fun and I want to do that AND I actually am participating in Pawel's project (he's still welcoming new participant if someone's interested). I haven't made any maps of my own yet though. Mostly because the wraith of having D and D- in primary and secondary school still haunts me ;-) I like tweaking maps though, for balance and for better PBEM play. What are some of your favourite maps, and why?

Naeco My favorite map would be Queen Elquein's Athendore II (for single play experience and PBEM too), Swolte's Drums of Death and Rise of Kings (PBEM), King David's Race to Death - Rise of Evil (PBEM), Fubarno's Valley of Turmoil (PBEM duo) and Timelord's War of the Twins (PBEM duo). King David has a map that I really like but he hasn't released it yet. It's Four Queens, I only had a chance to play it once in a team game 2-vs-2 about 3 years ago. The Groll's maps fun to play for me too. They are epic and enjoyable for those who want quests, events, and adventures. Concerning the tournament, how did you manage to get into the second rounds?

Naeco My only strategy on those game is to not get killed. Those that I succeeded to do that I won, and on the one that I failed to stay alive, I lost :-) (Please don't think I'm joking)Next to that, I check the editor from time to time before making my moves, especially on Color of Black and White. I had to make sure where the teleporters would take me to and how to come back. I won over Oleg by controlling the teleporters and checking the area around every turn. Are you looking forward to your matches in the second round?

Naeco I really am looking forwards to Second Round. There are players that I want to meet there and of course there are those that I don't want to face just too soon ;-) Names are irrelevant, but just to let you know that one of the players that I want to meet in 2nd Round is one of the favorites. I'm spending my last days of the vacation with my son so the preparation hasn't started yet. I have not checked the updated version of the maps either, but going in unprepared is one of my things ;-) Thank you for the interview! Ladies and gentlemen, this was TNS for you today!

And by the way, you can tell where teleporters lead to & fro??! How? How? You gotta email & tell me!!

Sapphoenix is losing every single PBEM (almost!), but loving it!

EnginerdHG Angel

posted
09-24-09 10:07 PM
EDT (US)
109 / 244

Let’s see, appendix, Round 1 facts, yes, this will make a great addition to my book. Let’s call these Flander’s Facts

As of Sept 24, 2009Players clinched 2nd round berth = 9Players eliminated = 6Players still hoping to make it into round 2 = 15 Players that have finished their games but don’t know if they’ll advance yet = 2 (Albinscott, LordDuck)

Games still being played = 10Players still playing = 16

Of those still playing:Number of players that have clinched = 2 (JamesEde, Timelord)Number of players that have been eliminated = 1 (Sapphoenix)Number of players with two games remaining = 4 (OK1, Black, Luke, Xalarun)Number of players that can clinch with one more victory = 8 (note, some are playing each other so they can’t all win)

Ways that round 1 can endPossible combinations that round 1 can now end = 1024Player remaining with greatest chance of advancing (win or lose) is Morgul = 986 Combinations, 96% ChancePlayer least likely of advancing (even if he wins) is Badborre_dk = 46, 4.5%Player most likely to be seeded #1 is Cranberry = 960, 94%Number of tiebreakers at 16th-17th place = 392, 38% Player least likely to play Vovy in Round 2 is Oleg = 0, 0%

I think that does it for now, I'll have to put some more facts together to support that other chapter. Yes indeed.

SapphoenixMember

posted
09-25-09 00:19 AM
EDT (US)
110 / 244

*cries*

Hmm, now that it matters not to me whether I win or lose against Pawel, I wonder how will the result impact the rest of the players.

Sapphoenix is losing every single PBEM (almost!), but loving it!

SwolteAOWH/AOW2H Seraph

posted
09-25-09 09:03 AM
EDT (US)
111 / 244

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS, your show for all Tournament news!

On today's special show we will focus in more detail with Swolte on the placement of players in subsequent rounds. Swolte, welcome to the show. I believe you have an image for us? Yes, that is correct.

Courtesy of Enginerd.

So, what we see here is the tournament spread out for all rounds. Instead of the Swiss system, what we tried for this first round, we will continue the tournament using traditional elimination rounds. One loss, and you're out! Its possible to do elimination rounds with the magic number of 16 players.

So, I notice you have put the final rankings in there, but what happens if people's ranks are tied? For example, its possible that two players have the same base ranking and Opp points for third and fourth place?

Yes, it will be similar to the situation when players were tied for the 16th position. If I'll go to the rules...

Quoted from tournament rules:

- Have players had direct contact in a match before? If so, this will determine who goes first.- Those players who have had official tournament warnings will fail.- Add all the Opp rank scores of the players they defeated. The one with the highest score will get priority.- Add all the Opp rank scores of the players they lost to. The one with the highest score (who was beaten by better players) will have priority.- Do the same as the above two steps, but instead of Opp points, use the final rankings of the players.- Lastly, the judges will do a lottery.

The second condition, referring to the tournament warnings, won't apply when it comes to this type of ranking. That is just to determine the final 16. However, the remaining rules will determine the final ranking of those 16 players who remain after the first round.

As for the match-ups, you mentioned something before about not meeting players you have met in the first round? Yes, this is tricky. As you can see in the graph, the matching goes as follows: the one who is ranked first, will be matched with the player who obtained 16th place. The player who is second, will be matched with the 15th place. If you are matched with someone whom you have already met in the previous round, then we will match you with the subsequent player. So, suppose you are the #1 Player, but you already played #16, then you will play #15 instead. The #2 will then be matched with #16 instead. It can get a bit complicated, but we'll figure it out... With this system it pays to get a high rank as you will have weaker enemies, and it will be interesting to keep following tournament developments until the first round ends.

Ok, so what about the third round, what if you are paired with someone you have already played? Well, then so be it. We just wanted to avoid this for the second round.

So, what about who starts in the matches? Or, what Wizard are you going to be? Whether you will play as Blackheart (and thus start) or Goodfella, will be randomized. This is also a nice way to assess and discuss the map balance afterwards. Just as an aside, after the first round, we will send everyone a questionnaire. One of the questions will concern predictions for the next rounds, but others will also ask about suggestions for improving the maps and general feedback on the tournament. Since we plan this to be a yearly event, we want to know what works and what needs improvement (or complete change).

When will it be made known who plays who, and what? Well, we try and do so as soon as possible. It depends on the vigilance of players whose games haven't finished and the vigilance of the judges who are assessing them to determine a winner. I figure that in most cases, it won't be hard to pick a winner, though. Then, as soon as remaining matches are decided the final ranking will be made know, and turns will be sent out immediately. At that point, we will allow a day or two for people who want to specifically study their position. After that, the timing rules will be in effect again. I estimate that the second round officially starts on the 5th of October.

You are strongly recommended to take a look at the map and study both positions now, though.

Well, thanks for coming to the show, Swolte. Ladies and gentlemen, this was TNS for today!

Oh, more Flander's Facts, yes yes, it's really needed in that chapter "Role of the Spoiler". I can make a nice scroll with pretty pictures, yes yes, everyone loves my pictures...

If Sapphoenix WINS her last matchPawel is OUT (obviously)Morgul is IN (well, there are 3 combos left out of 512 where he doesn’t make it and that's because Lord Duck wins the tiebreaker )

Players with an improved chance of making it to Round 2 with WIN from Sapphoenix (did not try and determine tiebreakers)Albinscott – 203 out of 512 for 40% (up from 27%)LordDuck – 506 for 99% (up from 95%)Badborre – 44 for 8.6% (up from 4%)Toth – 208 for 40% (up from 27%)Orangeknite1 – 296 for 58% (up from 48%)TroyLocker – 396 for 77% (up from 68%)Xalarun – 149 for 29% (up from 27%)

I wonder what other facts I can put in my book? Hmmmmmm....

Oleg123Member

posted
09-25-09 11:12 AM
EDT (US)
113 / 244

Off-topic joke:

Q: If you walk down a street, what are the chances that you will meet a dinosaur?A: 50%. Either you do, or you don't

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TNS, your station for all tournament news!

Luke811 obtained his first tournament victory against badborre on the Rocky Divide map. Check out the match here! It did mean the end for Badborre_dk, who is now officially out of the tournament! It is likely we will see him return next year, however.

On today's show we will have a special analyst to give us his expert advice on some of the games that are in the running. Please welcome Mr. Moose!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Mr. Moose, next to this game ending, it seems we have two other games on the edge! The first one is a match between JamesEde and Luke811 on the Mountain of the Gods. The logs reveal a comment by Luke811 alluding to the end...

Quoted from Luke811:

we are dead

People are still speculating what exactly it means. What do you think? Is it game over for Luke811?

Well, no, it could mean lots of things. Look, he is smiling. It's really too early to say. All options are open! The statement could refer:a- to the entire game being lost? He killed his own Wizard! Now, who would do that?!b- to one army being killed only. Probably one he loved a lot.c- to a prediction, i.e., James's armies are in sight and he will truly be killed within the next few days - its a possibility we cannot exclude.d- to a panic attack, i.e., Luke can't stand fighting Dire penguins and he just saw one. Luckily I haven't seen one up in Canada where I'm from. You'd think I would die if I did, eh?e- to an ironic joke, i.e., his army is twice as big, and he is simply taunting James. You know: We are soo dead, ahah! Muahaahahaa!f- to a spelling mistake, i.e., Luke actually meant to say 'we are deaf'.g- to him getting migrated to Undead. So, you see. This game is far from over!!

Um, well, ok. Listeners can take a look at the match' developments here!Mr. Moose, another game that is about to end is that one between PawelS and Sapphoenix on the Rocky Divide. Surely that one will be decided within one day? Haha, nonono, don't be too hasty! You see, what could be the reason for Sapphoenix to not surrender? She is just trying to be a good sport and thinks PawelS deserves a victory that... NONONO, IT'S A TRAP!!You see, by doing this, PawelS will get overconfident and make mistakes! I bet she has been going straight for Red Dragons and there are probably flocks waiting to strike PawelS' armies and swarm his lands! It's all possible! It's all possible!

Maaaaybe... Well, thanks for being on the show, Mr Moose! Listeners, please check out the match between PawelS and Sapphoenix here! Ladies and gentlemen, this was TNS for you today!!

Q: If you walk down a street, what are the chances that you will meet a dinosaur?A: 50%. Either you do, or you don't

there are people that died for making even better jokes...

getting back to topic:so what did I read there in 2,7 (paper)miles of text that were posted during my abscence: judges will determine winners on outstanding games in case they aren´t finished on time?! whew...!that will leave room for discussion mabye you should allow each of those contestants to explain his/her masterplan in a short text (limited to exactly three sentences!) to the judges...

Master, Round 1 still has 7 games to go, well, Pawel is supposed to win soon so I guess there are only 6 games to go.

7, 6, details details… here, give my fans this scroll, that will make them happy.

I see… looks like the cutoff for 16th place was at the 2 win mark with Lord Duck who won his 2 matches. And it looks like of those games remaining the favorites won, I wonder if Black_d1 will have an upset and win again? Were there many other ties in score?

Yes… and the tiebreakers were quite interesting, oh yes… quite interesting indeed. You see, Costa beat James on the first tiebreaker gaining the 2nd seed. Vovy beat Timelord gaining the 4th spot and Morgul beat Enginerd gaining the 6th seed. Ah… but here is where it get’s very interesting…. You see… The Naeco and Swolte tie breaker all comes down to who placed higher Oleg or Pawel. Well, that tiebreaker is quite interesting too because Oleg beat Swolte who beat Pawel who beat Naeco who beat Oleg who beat Swolte… wait.. I said that already. So, you see, it is clear who wins the tiebreaker and why?

(you’ve got to be joking) Master, I… er… don’t understand.

Oh it’s simple. Sapphoenix beat Xalarun on the tiebreaker so it all makes sense.

(What! Where did that come from) So Master, because Sapphoenix wins the tiebreaker with Xalarun…. Um… what next

Must I tell you everything… Pawel beat 2 opponents and Oleg beat 2 opponents. Pawel beat Naeco and Oleg beat Swolte, since Swolte and Naeco are tied we can’t use their scores to break the tie, we must use the other player that they beat. So Pawel beat Sapphoenix and Oleg beat Xalarun. So we have to look at how well Sapphoenix and Xalarun did in the tourney, well, as it turns out they both ended up with no wins and 7 opponent points and thus are tied as well.

(I wonder if this is where I tell him Xalarun got disqualified in his last two matches and Pawel still has yet to win his match, no, not worth telling him, I can hardly pay attention to what he’s saying anyways) Please continue, Master.

So, the tiebreaker between those two is fascinating, simply fascinating. You see, Sapphoenix also lost to Vovy and Charx while Xalarun lost to Timelord and MrLifford. Well, Vovy beats Timelord and Charx also placed higher Mr Lifford so Sapphoenix wins that tiebreaker, clearly and cleanly, a glorious feat for her. Who would have guess that she could figure so prominently in this tourney. Why, if it wasn’t for her how could we ever decide who Swolte would play in round 2? So, thanks to Sapphoenix we know that that Pawel will win the tiebreaker, thus enabling Swolte to win the tiebreaker and all of that has been done to insure that Vovy will play Oleg in the Final. Yes, I’m so proud of myself once again how beautifully I orchestrated everything, see it’s all right here for you to see.

Oleg vs. Vovy in the final, Master? What are the odds of that happening?

Oops, I forgot, I haven’t shown you the results of the round 2 poll yet, just forget I said that.

Master, the round 2 polls haven’t been sent out yet, how could you already have them back?

Details, Details….. I must get back to my book, now let me be.

Yes Master. I’ll go back and watch the remaining games and see how the final games end up. I hear Swolte is about ready to pull the plug on the last games if they don’t finish soon. I really want to see if TroyLocker can come from behind and win. Oooh, it’s also exciting to see if another newer player like Black_d1 will win another game. Oh, so exciting that the round 1 is almost over.

Stop making so much noise talking, you’re distracting me…. Now, where was I, oh yes, Flander, Ruler of the Universe….. yes that has a nice ring to it….

Oleg123Member

posted
09-27-09 03:27 PM
EDT (US)
117 / 244

OMG, I loughed out three times However, Mr. Universe the Wizard Version, according to the rules, players would not play in the second round against opponents they had already faced in the first one... And switches are most likely to be an issue as Swolte, Naeco and Pawel are very likely to be positioned near the median, and me being placed in the same area would not help either (played with Swolte and Naeco in round one)...Thanks for solving the big tiebreaker, I tryed to figure it out, but it was too mind-boiling!

Glad you enjoyed it and yes it can get mindboggling, especially when I confuse one combo with another too many options out there.

Remember, we're only going to guarentee that round 2 games (game #46 to #53) will not have two players that played each other in round 1. The above predictions work. The rest of the games in later rounds.... well... you may just have to face someone you played before. And you are correct... that group you mentioned is all right in the middle and making life complicated for guys like Flander... but hey.. it gives him material for his posts

Wait until you see some of the statistics he's got ready for later in the week